The Green Bay Packers are getting the New York Giants at what on paper is the perfect time. Not only are the Giants out their starting quarterback, number one running back and number one receiver, but
the team also had to name an interim head coach and an interim offensive coordinator this week following the firing of Brian Daboll and the promotion of Mike Kafka. Oh, and New York’s kicker just went on the injured reserve, too.
For weeks, the Packers have been attempting, unsuccessfully, to establish the run. The Giants, meanwhile, have by far the worst run defense in the NFL if you look at virtually any advanced metric. If there were ever a get-right opportunity for Green Bay, a team that still has Super Bowl aspirations even though they’ve dropped back-to-back games, it would be now.
To help us break down this matchup, Ed Valentine of Big Blue View, our sister site covering the Giants, stopped by to answer a couple of our questions going into this game.
Sometimes you get this dead-cat bounce with teams once they fire their head coach. Does it seem like Mike Kafka has rallied the troops this week?
That is hard to say. I have only been around the team for one practice. I think Kafka has made some decisions the players will love — naming Jameis Winston the starter with Jaxson Dart out and bringing back popular wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
I honestly think some of the players are curious about Kafka. I do know that it is a team that believes it is much better than 2-8 and, honestly, those players who feel that way are right. Do they still have enough pride to prove it? We’ll see.
What do you expect from Jameis Winston under center this week, and does it make sense to you that Russell Wilson is the permanent backup quarterback now?
A rollercoaster ride. What else would you expect? I know that the players are THRILLED that Winston is getting an opportunity. They love him. He brings energy and passion the team needs with Dart sidelined.
As for Wilson, the reality is he is actually QB3 behind Dart and Winston. Based on what we have seen from Wilson this year, that’s the way it should be.
I noticed the run defense numbers in New York aren’t good. The Packers are begging to establish the run every game. With six linebackers on the injury report, how do you think the Giants’ run defense will fare on Sunday?
The run defense has been TERRIBLE. It hasn’t mattered who has played linebacker. Gap integrity, hustling to the ball, tackling, poor angles from the secondary have all been issues. The fact that Dexter Lawrence has not played a single game resembling anything like what we saw the last 2 or 3 years from Lawrence is another factor.
Shane Bowen is the wrong defensive coordinator for this team. He just isn’t getting the best out of these guys. They have been embarrassed most of the season. I just want to know if they will show any pride. If they do, they have a chance because there is talent. If they play the way they have been playing, this will be a get-right game for the Green Bay offense.
I’ve seen some Giants fans posting online about Mike McCarthy potentially coming to New York in 2025. Who are some of the names that are being floated around right now, and are there some favorites already gaining steam?
I think there is an early feeling that after Brian Daboll ran a country club where player accountability was a myth that the Giants need a coach with the credibility of a winning track record, and a willingness to make sure players understand what is expected and are held to that standard.
McCarthy’s winning pedigree is why he gets mentioned. I don’t know that there are favorites yet, though I think every fan has “their guy.” For me, the guys I think really fit what the Giants need are already employed. Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski.
What do you think a Giants win would look like on paper?
I think it would have to include a couple of momentum-changing big throws from Jameis Winston. It will have to include the Giants’ pass rush winning the day, and the run defense being at least adequate. Oh, and a day where the Giants don’t get hurt in some fashion by the kicking game.
